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Originally Posted by Fox
To your first question, there are multiple ways. He could have entered the Royal Rumble, for instance, made a huge impact by eliminating several guys, and maybe even making it into the final four before being tossed out by someone like Randy Orton. He then shows up on RAW the next night to cut his big return promo before being interrupted by whoever his first feud would be against, maybe someone like Chris Jericho, and winning a quick verbal sparring match against him.
Another way would've been to have Santino come out at the top of the hour to cut one of his usual promos when Christian's old music hits and he walks out on the stage and proceeds to tear into Santino as he announces his return. He gets into the ring and after a few words, hits Santino with the Unprettier. Bam. Christian is back on RAW.
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I love you Fox, but I've got to argue this:
Christian returning in the Royal Rumble Match -- and losing -- makes him look better than debuting on ECW and beating the Champion there? Christian returning against
Santino Marella makes him look better than returning and defeating the ECW Champion? Maybe it works better in your head, but in mine, it is an instant passage into the mid-card for Christian.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox
The most obvious and best though IS the proposed Jeff vs. Matt vs. Edge vs. Christian storyline heading into WrestleMania 25.
At the Royal Rumble, Jeff has Edge beaten for the WWE Title when the ref takes a bump. Christian runs out and nails Jeff with a steel chair, the Unprettier, and Edge gets the win. The next episode of Smackdown, Edge comes out first thing and says that he had no idea that Christian was coming back, let alone that he was going to help him win back the WWE Title. He says thank you. Christian comes out and says that he didn't do it for Edge - he did it because he's gotten sick and tired of watching Jeff be the "brother that could." He reminds everyone that there was a point in time when the four of them were breaking into the business together - almost ten years ago. When Edge became WWE Champion, he said okay, that's fine. But now Jeff is a former WWE Champion, and Christian doesn't want them overshadowing him. He didn't cost Jeff the title to help Edge - he did it to make a statement: He's Back.
Later it would've been revealed that Christian didn't try to run Jeff off the road and didn't knock him out at the hotel. At the rematch between Jeff and Edge at No Way Out, Matt shows up to "help" Jeff, but ends up knocking him out too. On the following Smackdown it's revealed that he was the one who did all of those things to Jeff, because he's sick of his little brother getting the spotlight.
So you build to WrestleMania with Jeff being conflicted with his dreams of winning the WWE Title at WrestleMania and the turmoil of his brother turning on him - Matt with nothing but utter jealously and selfishness aimed at his brother and his own undying desire to win the WWE Title - Christian with his cockiness and uneasy relationship with his brother and his desire to make a splash in the WWE - and Edge, wanting nothing but to get away from these people with his belt intact.
As far as who should've faced Jack Swagger for the ECW Title, MVP or R-Truth would have been great choices.
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There are a few problems with the scenario you have suggested, although it is one of the most organic of the Edge/Christian/Matt/Jeff ideas I have read:
1) As you saw, Christian returning got a face pop. Do you really want the genuine interest in Christian to be wasted with him enforcing that he is a bad guy? It's playing against the fans, and it's going to confuse and upset them. Some people will cheer Christian hitting Jeff with a steel chair, and that's not exactly a visual you want. It sends the message that Jeff isn't worth cheering, and that this Christian guy is the good guy. It just makes things more confusing.
Christian returning as a face was absolutely the right move. Both from a creative and business standpoint. Hell, while he's hot, Christian might even move some merchandise. He was entertaining as hell on ECW, and he fills a gap in the face line-up that wasn't previously there. Triple H may actually be the closest thing the WWE has to a face with a zinging attitude right now.
2) In your scenario, you have three heels and one face. Maybe that is intentional, but it seems a little messy to me. Jeff Hardy is the only real character for the fans to attach to, so you're basically dedicating 75% of the angle to guys the fans don't like. That could turn some people off. If they were going to do something with those four men at WrestleMania, then I think a tag team match would have been the best option. That way you have two faces and two heels, and things a lot more even.
3) This idea immediately violates realism, because you do realise you have "the richest prize in the industry" being defended at the 25th anniversary of the Granddaddy of Them All between four former tag team specialists. Jeff Hardy is a guy with two wellness violations to his name; Matt Hardy has never been a "real World Champion" before, and has never really main eventing a PPV; Christian is only a few months off returning to the company after a three-year absence, prior to which he had no main event experience; with Edge probably being the only proven reliable main eventer of the four.
Again, it also leaves Triple H out in the cold. If you think that the WWE Title match at an event like WrestleMania XXV is going to leave out the guy who is banging the boss' daughter, and has been arbitrarily part of a World Title match every WrestleMania he could attend since WrestleMania X-8, for the fucking Hardy Boyz, you're delusional. Unless Triple H was injured with time to plan, there is no way the WWE Title match at WrestleMania is going to feature anyone but Triple H. If you want to include Edge, Christian, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy, you better make it a Five-Way.
Any WWE Title match idea for WrestleMania XXV that doesn't involve Triple H should immediately be disqualified for being unrealistic. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is.
As for MVP and R-Truth being suitable opponents for Jack Swagger? I'll maybe give you MVP. In fact, I would have loved to have seen MVP on ECW as a face. But that being said, Jack Swagger vs. Christian is definitely a bigger match. So even if you think you're taking away from the epicness of the other matches at the event (and with Edge vs. Triple H and Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy, I don't think you are), you're at least bulking up those lower on the card.